Matchbook and give-away article container combined



g- 3, 1965 R. L. ATHNOS 3,198,322

MATCHBOOK AND GIVE-AWAY ARTICLE CONTAINER COMBINED Filed May 14, 1965 Ruben L. Af/mos INF/$10K.

United States Patent 3,19s,s22 MATCHBQOK AND GIVE-AWAY ARTICLE CGNTAENER CUM BHNED Robert L. Athnos, Kroc Radio, 100 1st Ave. Bldg, Rochester, Minn. Filed May 14, 1963, Ser. No. 280,223 3 Claims. (Cl. 206-49) This invention relates to packet-type holder and carrier for safety matches, toothpicks and the like commonly referred to as a match folder, matchbook, book matches, package of matches or the like, and pertains, more particularly, to an improved adaptation which is distinctive and different in that it embodies a built-in compartment providing a container for a sample of the product which is being featured and described in the advertisement printed on cover-panels of the folder.

It is common and prevailing practice to use the front and back covers of cardboard book matches for printed and display advertising purposes and because of the widespread popularity of book matches added facilities have been incorporated to extend the utility thereof. It follows that the prior art reveal the incorporation in matchbooks of disposable and throw-away ashtrays, lighted cigarette snufling and extinguishing attachments and premium-type free sample attachments. No effort will be made here to delve with greater particularity into this aspect of the overall state of the art other than to add that many such special purpose adaptations have been patented and that it is a general objective in the present venture to advance the art, in so dong, to provide a modified folder or cover which embodies a free sample container which is such that it may, if desired, be attached when the sample has been removed for use.

More particularly it is an object of the invention to improve upon the Lipowitz combination bookmatch and sample carrier or holder 2,320,940. To this end and by Way of comparison it will be evident that the present invention merely calls for an extra long piece of cardboard to be used in the original matchbook cover means and which when properly folded and used provides slightly added length to enclose and effectually accommodate the front and back covers which are slightly longer than the ones now commonly in use and wherein a simple bandlike member is associated with the covers and the hinging Web between the covers and which provides an ideal compartment or container for cellophane-packaged or equivalently protected headache pills or the like and more particularly wherein said container is nested and confined between the headed ends of the matches and the web-connected portions of the aforementioned front and back covers.

As will be hereinafter more readily apparent one form or embodiment'of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1, 2

and 3 and a similarly constructed form or embodiment is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

These together with other object and advantages which .will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accomd,l%,322 Patented Aug. 3, 1965 panying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts trhoughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a matchbook and give-away article container or compartment in combined form constructed in accordance with the invention and showing the front cover swung up to open position in a manner to reveal not only the container but the articles (give-away headache pills) therein;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view in section and on a larger scale based on FIG. 1 but with the front cover closed;

FIGURE 3 is a view in section and elevation which ties in with FIGS. 1 and 2 and the purpose of which is to show the manner in which the band-like container is glued or otherwise fastened to the aforementioned hinging web and from which it may be forcibly torn and removed if and when desired by the user;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a cardboard or equivalent cutout onepiece blank form from which the simpler modified form of the invention, that is the cover portion, is constructed; and

FIGURE 5 is a view in perspective based on FIG. 4 and showing the manner in which the connectible bandends are joined to cooperate with the blank in providing a compartment or container of the same type illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3.

Referring first to the form or modification illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, inclusive, it will be seen that, generally speaking, the battery or book of matches, considered as an assemblage or unit is denoted by the numeral 8, the matches itl being of conventional construction and the headed upper ends thereof being denoted at 12. The connected end portions as at 14 are anchored in place by the usual fastener or staple 16 which functions to join the upturned flap 18 and bent portion 20 in such a way that the matches are fastened, as is customarily done in present-day folders and matchbooks. In addition the folder or holder is, generally speaking, similar to the c-onventionahtype and it is here denoted generally by the numeral 22 and is fashioned from customary cardboard or equivalent material. This means is also referred to as a matchbook cover and consequently the rear wall is designated as a rear panel or cover 24 and the front wall is designated as a front cover 26. The adjacent upper ends are joined by a generally rectangular connecting web 2-8 which constitutes a satisfactory hinge. Normally this hinge and the upper ends of the front and back covers would be about even with the heads 12 of the matches. In the present instance the covers are slightly longer to accommodate the added compartment or container denoted, as an entity, by the numeral 30.

Before discussing the added built-in container or compartment in detail it is to be explained that the free end portion 32 of the front cover 26 is, in practice, tucked into the space between the upturned flap 18 and is thus closed and held closed in the usual manner (not detailed here). This end portion is connected to the body portion by way of a teara'ble scoreline 34 so that it can be torn off in a manner to be explained. Also in practice the exterior, as is usually the case, of the flap is provided with abrasive media 36 for striking the matches.

Getting back nOW to the built-in container 30 this is formed from a suitable length of cardboard or equivalent material and is formed into an elongated frame One lengthwise frame menrber 38 is superimposed upon and glued or otherwise joined to the hinging Web 28 as denoted at 40. The transverse or end members of the frame are denoted at 42 and the other lengthwise frame member is made up of overlapped frame portions 44 and 46 which are glued or otherwise connected together. It follows that a substantially open rectangular frame is thus attached to the folder, more particularly the hinging web 2-55. When the component parts are in the position and relationship illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 it will be evident that the hollow portion of the frame 3! provides a compartment or container in which the giveaway articles are removab'ly stored. It can be assumed here that each article comprises a protectively wrapped headache pill or the like denoted generally at 47. It can be further assumed that the printed advertising media on the panels or covers will correspond with the product or article which is employed as a premium in the manner shown.

It will be evident that the match holder in its original marketed form will be as illustrated in FIG. 1 with the cover panel, of course, closed and will constitute, because of its unique character, a conversation piece which, manifestly, is a significant purpose of advertising in this field of endeavor. The added perforations 34 defining the removable or detachable flap 32 and the spaced parallel creases 48 and a third spaced parallel crease St) (just above the heads of the matches) can be used to convert the long package of FIG. 1 to a short regulation size package simply by tearing away the container or frame 3t) after it has served its purpose. Then and after the flap 32 has been detached the free, now defined by the scoreline 34, can be tucked into the flap 18 at the bottom. There is another aspect to this detachable container 39 in that the overall matchbook constitutes, if desired, an innovation for fidgety people or users who as a result of impatience and attending nervousness often like to fumble and fool with book matches. The instant construction permits the user to peel loose and tear out the container so after having removed the pills, to tear d the extra end portion 32, and then restore or convert the overall folder to its customary shorter proportions, The auxiliary web 51 between the folds 48 and 59 now takes the place of the primary web 28 and imparts the needed length to the front cover 26 and the new edge 34 (left by the detached flap 32) is available for purposes of closing the front cover in the usual manner.

The modification illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 is not shown in full detail for it is believed that after having considered FIGS. 1 to 3, for'example, it will be evident that the blank 52 in FIGS. 4 and 5 permits one to make up a folder or holder which corresponds to that already described and where, for example, the front panel is denoted at 54, the scoreline at 56, the detachable free end portion or flap at 53. The back panel or wall is denoted at 69, the matchbook anchoring flap at 62. The toldl-ines s4 and 66 here define the web and this web constitutes an integral part of the article container. Instead of being a separate band and glued in place the bands or bandends take the forms of integral straps one denoted at A at the left and the other at B at the right. These straps are provided with end portions 6% joined by foldlines 74 to the blank proper and having additional foldlines 72 and having terminal gradually narrowed or tapering separable end portions 74 and 76 which are the same in construction and which have terminal end portions or tongues 73 and 8% provided with separably connectible kenf portions 82 and 84 which are interlocked in the manner illustrated in FIG. 5. Thus by manually bending these strap-like parts A and B in the manner illustrated and connecting the tab-like free end portions 75 and dd by way of interlocking slits as at 82 and 84, a substantially rectangular cardboard frame is provided and, here again, this frame constitutes a container or compartment for the pills or other articles which are being advertised.

Manifestly, the use of interlocking slits or herbs $2 and 84 is not intended to be limiting. In fact, it is within the purview of. the inventive concept to dispense with the kerfs 82 and 84 and to merely overlap the ends or tabs 78 and 3t) and permanently glue them together (not illustrated).

As suggested the cover means must be a little longer than usual, to allow for the small storage compartment. The matchbook could also be cut thinner by having fewer matches (ten instead of twenty) to compensate for the extra cost involved in having a longer book. The matches themselves would give added support to the lock of the joined tabs or tongues. If this would not be feasible (due to production costs of inserting tabs by hand) staples or some sort of muciiage could be used. The pills or tablets would have to be wrapped in cellophane or some other such product in use today to comply with current health regulations. Other than that, this innovation is selfexplanatory. The tapering of the two tabs from to 7 gives a tighter fit to the finished product. The matchbook does not have to have these exact measurements. These figures were used on the scale model.

it is believed that a careful consideration of the speciiication in conjunction with the views of the drawing will enable the reader to obtain a clear and comprehensive understanding of the subject matter of the invention, the features and advantages, and the manner of making and using the invention. Therefore, a more extended description is regarded as unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalent-s may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

l. A pocket-size package of safety matches generally conventional in construction and form for convenient carrying on ones person, in a handbag or the like comprising: a folder embodying front and back panels having upper end portions joined together by a connecting and hinging web, book matches mounted on an interior surface of the back cover and attached thereto and embodying individual matches with headed ends spaced from said hinging and connecting web and defining an auxiliary space, container means confined in said space and cooperably oriented with said web and headed ends of said matches, said container means comprising an elongated generally rectangular frame embodying cooperating frame members coacting with each other and with complemental coacting portions of the web and front and back covers and defining a compartment for small articles, one of said frame members being detachably connected with the web and capable of being completely detached whereupon that portion of the front and back covers adjacent the headed ends of the matches and connected ends of the front and back covers remains intact and can be again bent by the user in a manner to transform the folder into a smaller size, and wherein said front cover has a free end portion joined by a tearable score'line to the body protion and thus providing a detachable flap.

2. A throw-away matchbook comprising: a sheet cardboard folder embodying a back cover panel provided at a lower end with a return-bent book match anchoring flap, a book of matches having a lower end thereof interposed and fastened between said anchoring flap and the corresponding lower end of said back cover panel, said back cover panel being of a length greater than the length of said book of matches and the upper end portion extending beyond the heads of the matches and being joined by a first folding crease to a laterally directed front cover panel assmibling and connecting web, a front cover panel opposed to said back cover panel and having an upper end joined to a cooperating edge of said web by a second folding crease, the lower end of said front cover panel being free and proximal to and being adapted to be tucked between said anchoring flap and book of matches, said web and coacting upper end portions of said cover panels providing a pocket above the heads of said matches, and a small article storing compartment wholly located in said pocket, said compartment comprising an elongated rectangular frame, one longitudinal frame member being superimposed upon and detachably joined to an interior surface of said Web, the respective open sides of said frame being spanned and normally closed by the respective upper end portions of said back and firont cover panels.

3. The structure according to claim 2, and wherein the free end portion of said front cover panel is joined to the body portion by a transverse straight-across manually tearable scoreline whereby to provide an optionally detachable flap which when detached serves to shorten the length of the front cover panel and also serves to provide a new free terminal end for said front cover panel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Von Deylen 20629 Graham 20629 Williams 20629 Fried 206- 29 Ul-lman 229-40 Williamson.

Lieberman 20629 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. 

2. A THROW-AWAY MATCHBOOK COMPRISING: A SHEET CARDBOARD FOLDER EMBODYING A BACK COVER PANEL PROVIDED AT A LOWER END WITH A RETURN-BENT BOOK MATCH ANCHORING FLAP, A BOOK OF MATCHES HAVING A LOWER END THEREOF INTERPOSED AND FASTENED BETWEEN SAID ANCHORING FLAP AND THE CORRESPONDING LOWER END OF SAID BACK COVER PANEL, SAID BACK COVER PANEL BEING OF A LENGTH GREATER THAN THE LENGTH OF SAID BOOK OF MATCHES AND THE UPPER END PORTION EXTENDING BEYOND THE HEADS OF THE MATCHES AND BEING JOINED BY A FIRST FOLDING CREASE TO A LATERALLY DIRECTED FRONT COVER PANEL ASSEMBLING AND CONNECTING WEB, A FRONT COVER PANEL OPPOSED TO SAID BACK COVER PANEL AND HAVING AN UPPER END JOINED TO A COOPERATING EDGE OF SAID WEB BY A SECOND FOLDINGCREASE, THE LOWER END OF SAID FRONT COVER PANEL BEING FREE AND PROXIMAL TO AND BEING ADAPTED TO BE TUCKED BETWEEN SAID ANCHORING FLAP AND BOOK OF MATCHES, SAID WEB AND COACTING UPPER END PORTIONS OF SAID COVER PANELS PROVIDING A POCKET ABOVE THE HEADS OF SAID MATCHES, AND A SMALL ARTICLE STORING COMPARTMENT WHOLLY LOCATED IN SAID POCKET, SAID COMPARTMENT COMPRISING AN ELONGATED RECTANGULAR FRAME, ONE LONGITUDINAL FRAME MEMBER BEING SUPERIMPOSED UPON AND DETACHABLY JOINED TO AN INTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID WEB, THE RESPECTIVE OPEN SIDES OF SAID FRAME BEING SPANNED AND NORMALLY CLOSED BY THE RESPECTIVE UPPER END PORTIONS OF SAID BACK AND FRONT COVER PANELS. 